Failure of polymyxin B nonapeptide to augment bactericidal activities of novobiocin, rifampin, and of defibrinated human blood against Serratia marcescens.

Abstract

Polymyxin B (PB) and polymyxin B nonapeptide (PBNP), when combined with rifampin or novobiocin, but not vancomycin, yielded additive inhibitory effects against test strains of Serratia marcescens of three varieties: those that produced cocarde growths around PB disks (coc+); those that grew adjacent to PB disks (coc-, 6); and those that yielded clear inhibition zones around PB disks (coc-, clear). However, time kill curve experiments disclosed that only the combination of rifampin + PB exerted a potent bactericidal effect against coc+ strains of S. marcescens; rifampin + PBNP and novobiocin + PB or PBNP merely effected transient decreases of colony counts. Assays involving 50% (v/v) of fresh defibrinated human blood + PB or PBNP revealed that only PB clearly augmented the antibacterial activity of blood against coc+, and less so against coc- test strains of S. marcescens.